Animal-trap.



R. MCCLURE.

ANIMAL TRAP. Arme/111011 FILED 155.111,1914'.

Ll'a, Patented 1101. 26, 1915.

mmuuum wfg-f; w 91? 25 R. MQCLURE ccrLuMmA PLANOGRAPM coW^sH1NGToN. D. c.

sra ier 1- hid@ @Fldlim RAY Meerman, or van WERT, oi-iio.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 26, 11915.

Application filed February 14, 1914. Serial No. 818,756.

ful Improvements in Animali-Traps, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in animal traps and more particularly to that type known as self-set and ever set traps, the main object of the invention being to provide a trap of this character which is so constructed and arranged that the same is operated by the weight of an animal upon the trigger and is always retained in its set position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a trap which includes a body, a rotatable fan member disposed therein, the blades of which are arranged, one at a time, in a horizontal position and retained in such position until released by the weight of an animal upon the trigger members carried by the fan blades, the weight of the animal moving the horizontal fan blades to a vertical position and moving the fan blade next in order to a horizontal or set position, each blade carrying separate means adapted for engagement by means carried by the body for retaining said blades in a set position. v

A further object of the invention resides in the provisionof a trap of the above character which will possess advantages in points of eiiiciency and durability, is inexpensive to manufacture and, at the same time, is simple rin construction and operation. f

llll/Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed outin the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application Figure l is a perspective view of an animal trap constructedv in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isV a transverse sectional view throughV the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the shaftand sleeve inclosing the same. Fig. 4L is a detail enlarged transverse section illustrating the manner of mounting the fan blades; and Fig, 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 545, rig. 2.

ln carrying out my invention, I provide a substantially rectangular body l which is provided upon the top side, with a hood 2,

which preferably extends transversely across one half of the top of the body. The body l is provided upon what willbe hereinafter known as the rear side, with a hinged door 3 which is adapted to norinallyclose an opening 4f in therear of the body and is retained in its normal position by means of a latch member 5.

Extending longitudinally through the body and having itsV ends mounted within suitable bearings inthe endwalls ofthe body, near the top thereof, is a shaft 6 to one end of which is secured a crank arm 7 having a handle member 8', whereby said shaft may be rotated, when desired. Mounted upon the shaft and arranged in spaced relation therewith, is a sleeve 7 and -disposed within the sleeve, is a coil spring 8 which is adapted to inclose the shaft 6, said spring having one end secured to the shaft as shown at 9 and the other end secured to the interior of the sleeve 7, as'shown at 10.

Mounted upon the sleeve 7, are the blades 11 which are preferably formed of sheet metal or galvanized iron and provided at their central portions with an odset 12 which forms a `central groove, the purpose of which will be morefully described hereinafter. The inner longitudinal `edges of the blades 11 are provided upon each side of the offset 12, with substantially arcuate iianges lid-which are adapted to be disposed over a portion of the sleeve 7 and then bent at right angles, as shown at 14 and riveted or otherwise secured to the blade next in order, each of said bladesbeing formed in this manner so that they are all rigidly connected to-` gether and mounted upon the sleeve 7. This construction is clearly illustrated in Fig. i.

Pivotally mounted in lthe sidewalls of theV offsets 112 are the transverse rods 15 and arranged within the offsets -are the trigger blades 16 having spaced ears 17 formed upon the inner ends thereof which are perforated and are adapted to be pivotally mounted upon the.V rods 15. These trigger blades 16 areadapted to be normally'retained in a raised or set positiomas illustrated in Fig. 2 by means of the angular retainingmembers-18, one end yof each of which is arranged between the rods l5 and the under llO sides ofthe trigger blades 16. The othery ends of the retaining members eXtend Vdownwardly and are provided with. loops` 19 to which are secured the vactuating rods 20. rl`he outer ends of the offsets 12 are provided with the downwardly projecting guide flanges 21 and further-provided adjacentY their outer ends with the downwardly projecting perforated ears 22' in which the rods 20 ,are mounted, lldounted upon the rods 20 and disposed'between the'guide flanges 21, and theears 22, are the coil springs 23 which'a're adapted to normally retainV the outer ends of kthe rods invtheir projected positions, and the `outward vmvenient of the rods Yis limited by theV contact with the Y flanges 21 of the stop members 23a carried by Y saidrods.

In'llfig. 2 l' haveiillu'strated one of the blades 11 infits operative or set position and intliis'position the outer end of the actuating rodis engaged -with the keeper 24 se.

'will necessarily step upon the trigger in such a manner that any slight pressure upon the samek will disengage the outerend of the lrod 2() from the keeper 24 and release the blade 11, the tension of the coil spring 8 vrotating the sleeve? and blades 11 so that Y. the. animal will beconveyed tothe interior Y of the body 1'.'Y

In setting my trap for use, Vthe shaft 6 is rotatedto place the spring 8 under tension, said shaft being held against any backward movement by means of the pivotedpawl25 'Y vvengaging with" the ratchet-'26 uponl the end l trigger 16' is pressed downwardly into the ofthe shaft 'opposite thehandle. It will be apparentfrom the description taken in connection with'the drawings, that when the offset 1'2, it will actuate the retaining memberf18 which, in,V turn, will reciprocate the rodA 20 against the tension of the spring 23 and disengage thelouter end of the rod from Y thelreepfer 24 to allow theset blade to rotatefinwardly Vinto the receptacle, the blade fnertin turn .dropping downward tof the set position. It willbe noted that the fan memberfis .retarded itsdownward rotary move,`

fmentby having'theouter ends of each one f oftherods20 frictionally'engaging with the stop' 21, which 'is s ecured tothe upper edge of VVthe hoodY 2 fand". proj ,entsV downwardly andv j outwardly therefrom, the lower inner face ofsaidstop being!beveledwliereby toreadilyperrnit the endsj'of the rod toenga ge the saine andpass beneatlrf'it, when the fan member is rotatingforwardlyfIt willbe A noted that in view of the fact that the me1n bei' 24 is U-shaped, there is no other means for Vprev enting downward movement of the fan member outside of the stop 21 and it is, therefore, essential that this stop member be located in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to be engaged by the outer ends of the rods 20, so that the axial rotation of the fan member is materially retarded before a rod 20 operatively engages the keeper 24. It will be apparent that after thebladehas been released, the tension of the spring 8 will rotate the blades until the bladenext in order is disposed in set position. From this, it will be apparent that I have provided what is known as the self set or ever set animal trap. lf so desired, a suitable window 27 may be located in the front of the receptacle l to attract the animals from the outside by disclosing the animals engaged within the trap.

ln the construction of the trap, I have provided a suitable guard 28 which is secured to the upper longitudinal edge of the front wall of the receptacle and projects upwardly to a height about equal to the height of the forward side of the hood 2. In providing this guard 28, the animals will have to enter uponl the set blade from the end thereof in attempting to cross the same or in obtaining the bait, the trigger 16 will be actuated to release the blade, which will deposit the animal within the trap. It will be noted that by arranging the guard 28v upon the outer edge o f the body and in spaced'relation to the'llood 2, it will provide a raceway for the animal when passing on to the fan blades and will prevent the animal from escaping when the trigger is released, whereas if it were Ilot for this guard member, the animal could readilyV spring over the forward edge of the body and escape, but by providing the guard member 28, it will nccessitate the animal traveling to thc end of the race-way, which will be practically impossible as the weight of the animal will carry it intol the body of the trap before it can rea-ch the end 0f the race-way. When it is desired to remove the contents of the trap, this Amay be done through the opening 4 by disengaging the latch 5. y It, will beapparent from the accompanying drawing, taken in connection with the oregoing deSQrption, that I have provided a simple and durable animal trap, whereby the operation of setting the trilpiIl its effe@- tive position is carried out through the weight of an animal and whereby the trap iS always inV anv ever set position. It will also be apparent that the device is extremely simple in'. construction, vcan be formed of any desirable material and manufactured and placed upon the vmarket at a comparatively small cost, Y l

While l have shown and described the` preferred form of my invention, it is obvious that various changes in the details of construction andin the proportions may be resorted to, for successfully carrying my invention into practice, Without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope of the appended claim.v

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is A device of the character described including a rotatably supported tubular sleeve, blades carried by said sleeve and substantially radiating therefrom, the inner marginal portion of each of the blades being arcuate to conform to the periphery of 15 the sleeve and terminating in a radial portion overlying the inner portion of an adj acent blade, means for securing a blade and Y an adj acent radial extension one to the other, and a spring member Within the tubular sleeve for imparting movement to the sleeve in one direction. v

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

i RAY MGCLURE.

Witnesses:

C. B. LYBARGER, J. W. SPURDGEON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatenis,

' Washington, D. C." 

